Knicks simplifying defense after rough year one under Hornacek

Oct 14 | 9:46PM

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New York Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek yells at the officials during the second half at against the Cleveland Cavaliers Madison Square Garden. ( Adam Hunger)

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek admitted in a report from Newsday that the Knicks' defensive principles and concepts were difficult and confusing during his first season on New York's sideline last year.

The report mentioned that players had a tough time grasping the defensive scheme and complained that things needed to be simplified in order to succeed on that end of the floor. New York didn't have a "basic foundation" and changed things up "game to game."

This season -- the second under Hornacek and the first without Phil Jackson in the front office -- the Knicks will make everything easier while stressing the importance of improvement on defense. The Knicks will have basic principles in order to maximize their efforts.

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Knicks waive Trey Burke, Nigel Hayes, Xavier Rathan-Mayes

Oct 14 | 9:42AM

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(Brad Mills)

The Knicks announced they have waived three players: PG Trey Burke, SG Xavier Rathan-Mayes, and F Nigel Hayes.

Burke was signed by the Knicks on Oct. 11, and did not appear in a preseason game. The former All-Rookie First-Team selection back in 2013 averaged five points, 1.8 assists, and shot 45.5 percent from the field last season with the Wizards.

Hayes and Rathan-Mayes were picked up by the Knicks after going undrafted back in June. The 6-foot-8 Hayes appeared in four of the team's five preseason games where he scored nine points in 33 minutes.

Rathan-Mayes appeared in three games scoring only two points in 28 minutes.

Van Gundy says Porzingis needs to help unite Knicks this season

Oct 13 | 5:10PM

With Carmelo Anthony in Oklahoma City, Kristaps Porzingis is now the face of the Knicks. And former head coach Jeff Van Gundy said this season will be a "great opportunity" for Porzingis to grow.

"I think the Knicks obviously have declared what they want to do, which is rebuild," Van Gundy said during a conference call, according to Ian Begley of ESPN. "And so much is going to be -- this season is going to be about Porzingis and (Willy) Hernangomez, their development, and Frank (Ntilikina)'s ability to learn the NBA quickly at a difficult position and get him significant minutes to grow."

Van Gundy added that he didn't think Porzingis made the expected jump last season, and that he has a chance to do that in 2017-18.

The Knicks won't have a huge problem scoring the basketball. It's the other side of the ball that could doom them the entire 2017-18 season. Their defense is bad, and it's difficult to see enough improvement to put them in the winning column more often than not. This team is likely going to give up more than 100 points almost every night.

The Knicks' defense has been worse-than-average in 15 of the last 16 seasons. The only season they were not was the lockout-shortened season in 2011-2012. That was the year Tyson Chandler was the Defensive Player of the Year.

The last time the Knicks defense allowed fewer points per 100 possessions than the league average in a full, 82-game season was in 2000-2001, which was Jeff Van Gundy's last full season as Knicks head coach. The Knicks also ranked last in defensive rebounding percentage last season. They gave up 108 PPG, which was 23rd in the NBA, and they have already given up 113 PPG in their four preseason losses so far...

Knicks utilizing analytics, advanced statistics under Mills, Perry

Oct 13 | 10:10AM

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New York Knicks president Steve Mills and general manager Scott Perry speak to the media on media day at MSG Training Center. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports Images)

The Knicks are utilizing advanced statistics and analytics more under president Steve Mills and GM Scott Perry, and hired someone to work deeper with statistics, according to the New York Post's Marc Berman.

"I'm not sure we're [utilizing advanced statistics] as much as other teams, but I'm sure we're more than other teams," head coach Jeff Hornacek told Berman. "I heard some organizations, you can develop draft picks and starting lineups just looking at analytics."

Damyean Dotson getting compared to former Knick Iman Shumpert

Oct 11 | 11:00PM

Houston Cougars guard Damyean Dotson (21) reacts after making a basket during the first half against the Tulsa Golden Hurricane at Hofheinz Pavilion. (Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports)

Knicks rookie Damyean Dotson hasn't been with the Knicks for long, but he's drawing some high praise from his teammates.

Tim Hardaway Jr. compared the 44th overall pick in this year's draft to a defensive stalwart that used to play for the Knicks.

"Dot, when you see him out there, he's a football player,'' Hardaway said, according to the New York Post. "He guards me every day in practice. He's going to give you his all, every possession, no matter how tired he is. Built strong, athletic, takes nothing from nobody. That's what we love.

"Definitely reminds me of [Iman Shumpert]. They got that grittiness and desire to play defense.''

Knicks have worst odds to win 2018 NBA title

Oct 11 | 12:48PM

The Knicks are set to have another bad season as Vegas odds have them as a longshot to win this year's NBA title, per NY Daily News.

Sportsbettingdime.com has the Knicks set at 1000-1 to win the 2018 Finals, which is the largest odds of any team. The Nets are tied with the Knicks as well.

The Hawks, Magic, and Bulls are next on the list for the worst odds.

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Knicks impressed with Ntilikina's work ethic off the court

Oct 11 | 12:00PM

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(Brad Penner)

Knicks rookie PG Frank Ntilikina is impressing his new team even when he isn't on the court.

Ntilikina has only seen one game of NBA action as he continues to nurse a sore right knee. However, that hasn't stopped him from watching the Knicks' on TV. He noticed that the team ran a few plays he didn't know of, so he went to head coach Jeff Hornacek to see what they were.

Knicks sign PG Trey Burke

Oct 11 | 10:54AM

The Knicks have announced they signed PG Trey Burke. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Burke has played with the Jazz and Wizards over his four year career. He has averaged 10.6 points and 3.6 assists over than span.

The Michigan product was the ninth overall pick of the 2013 draft to Minnesota before being traded to the Jazz. He was selected to to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in his first season after scoring 12.8 points per game along with 5.7 assists.

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Knicks add Squarespace advertising patch to uniform

Oct 10 | 11:25AM

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(Kirby Lee-US PRESSWIRE)

The Knicks became the latest team to add an advertisement to their uniform, announcing a partnership with Squarespace on Tuesday morning.

The Squarespace logo will begin appearing in games during the Knicks' preseason finale against the Wizards on Friday night.

Oct 9 | 7:33PM

Rockets players expressed their content that former Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony finally got his trade request granted in the offseason even though it wasn't to Houston.

Anthony had previously expressed his desire to only waive his no-trade clause to the Rockets to join James Harden and Chris Paul, however the Knicks told other teams around the league that Houston didn't have assets that appealed to them.

Instead, Anthony added the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder to his list of teams he would accept a trade to, and New York dealt him to Oklahoma City to partner in late September in exchange for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick.

"I sorta felt like he would be traded," Paul said, according to the New York Daily News' Frank Isola. "I actually hoped he would to give him peace of mind so he could be happy. And I think he's happy now."

"I'm not too concerned," Porzingis told reporters after Sunday's game. "It's just a sore right hip is what the doctor described, and it's nothing to be too concerned about. But tomorrow the doctor is going to look at it and we'll have [a] more clearer [answer]."

Joakim Noah ready to make impact with Knicks this season

Oct 7 | 12:37PM

Joakim Noah won't be able to play in the first 12 games of the regular season, but he's still looking forward to making positives strides when he does return.

Noah took part in his first preseason game on Friday against the Wizards, collecting two points, five rebound and two assists. Due to his suspension for violating the NBA's substance abuse policy, the forward will not be allowed to play in the regular season until mid-November at the earliest.

"It's been a long time away from the game," Noah told reporters Friday. "I'm still a work in progress. I'm just excited to get back on the court. I'm dealing with a lot of adversity right now. It's just where the cards fell. It's like being a rookie all over again. I got to prove myself, I got to prove myself every day. It's my challenge. It's the challenge that I put myself in. I just got to keep working every day."

Scott Perry wants players to 'fight hard,' not worried about wins

Oct 7 | 9:47AM

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(Brad Penner)

According to new Knicks GM Scott Perry, the fan base wouldn't mind if this year's squad loses as long as they "fight hard every night."

One New York team (the Jets) has already embraced that mantra, and the Knicks are similar with their own group of young players that need to develop. Perry is convinced that the fans wouldn't mind seeing a losing season if his rebuild looks promising.

"Fans in general respect teams who compete and fight hard every night," Perry told The Post's Marc Berman. "I think fans will respect that. We'll see where that takes us. Nobody has a crystal ball, what that's going to mean for results this year. Let that play out."

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Knicks drop second preseason game to Wizards, 104-100

Oct 6 | 9:00PM

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(Amber Searls)

Enes Kanter and Tim Hardaway Jr. led the Knicks offense as they dropped their second preseason game to the Wizards, 104-100. >>Read More

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Carmelo Anthony back to 'having fun again' with Thunder

Oct 6 | 5:50PM

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(Mark D. Smith)

Current Thunder and former Knicks SF Carmelo Anthony has quickly found a niche with his new team in Oklahoma City.

Anthony and the Knicks struggled this offseason to reach an agreement as to where the veteran All-Star would land this season. After the Knicks asked Melo for a few more options after talks with the Rockets settled, a deal with the Thunder was made in an instant.

At the end of the day, Anthony was looking for a playoff contender and found one with the Thunder.

Noah to make preseason debut Friday vs. Wizards

Oct 6 | 11:58AM

New York Knicks center Joakim Noah speaks to the media on media day at MSG Training Center. (Brad Penner/USA Today Sports Images)

Knicks center Joakim Noah will make his preseason deubt Friday when New York faces the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena, head coach Jeff Hornacek said.

Noah, who has 12 games remaining on his suspension from violating the league's substance abuse policy, is eligible to make is regular-season debut Nov. 13 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Entering the second year of a four-year, $72 million deal, Noah has been medically cleared after undergoing shoulder surgery in April, but did not suit up for the team's preseason opener on Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets.

The 32-year-old Noah averaged five points and 8.8 rebounds in 46 games last season.

Nigel Hayes challenges Knicks fans to change his mind about NYC

Oct 5 | 6:24PM

Mar 24, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes (10) drives to the basket against Florida Gators forward Justin Leon (23) during the second half in the semifinals of the East Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports (Robert Deutsch)

Knicks small forward Nigel Hayes knows he drew attention when he called New York "too big" and "dirty," and now he wants the fans to do their best to help change his mind.

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Porzingis will likely play forward more than center this season

Oct 5 | 5:10PM

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( Adam Hunger)

Kristaps Porzingis will likely play power forward more often than center thie season, head coach Jeff Hornacek explained on Thursday.

"With the roster we have, we have a lot of bigs at that position at the five, so it's natural for him to play the four. If we want, at times, maybe (playing Porzingis at center is) a weapon we can go to against some teams," Hornacek said, according to Ian Begley of ESPN. "It's probably different if we had only other center then maybe he gets more minutes there. If you look at our roster he's not going to get a ton of time there but it's an option we can go to."

Jake Brown | Twitter | While Porzingis is the tallest player on the Knicks, he should not be playing center. He has a unique game that doesn't make him a center -- he's a power forward and always will be. It's the same with Dirk Nowitzki...

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Ntilikina out for Friday's game due to bruised knee

Oct 5 | 12:15PM

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(Noah K. Murray)

Knicks rookie PG Frank Ntilikina (contused right knee) is out for Friday night's preseason game against the Wizards.

According to The Record's Steve Popper, head coach Jeff Hornacek said Ntilikina will likely be out for Saturday's matchup against the Nets as well.

Head coach Jeff Hornacek said Ntilikina banged knees with Enes Kanter, and said this knee issue is unrelated to the one Ntilikina dealt with during the summer.

Knicks' Kanter would've taken a knee during the national anthem

Oct 4 | 10:07PM

Despite many teams in the NFL and NBA expressing their willingness to sit or take a knee during the national anthem, the Knicks decided they would all stand in unity during Tuesday's preseason opener.

However, Enes Kanter said he would have done the opposite if he had been given the opportunity. Kanter, who is originally from Turkey, had his passport revoked this spring and was nearly arrested by Turkish police after the government claimed he was part of a terrorist organization. His father was arrested this summer for criticizing the Turkish president.

"If they would've left it up to me, yes, I would've taken a knee," Kanter said. "But as a team, we decided not to take a knee. The most important thing in America is equality and justice. If you don't see these two things in America, I feel really bad, I feel really sad inside."

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NBA GMs believe Kristaps Porzingis is ready for breakout campaign

Oct 4 | 6:36PM

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New York Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas and forward Kristaps Porzingis react after scoring a basket against the Detroit Pistons during first half at Madison Square Garden. (Noah K. Murray-USA Today Sports Images)

Voting on various categories in the NBA.com GM Survey, decision makers voted that Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis has a good chance for a breakout season.

Fourteen percent of GMs voted that Porzingis is likely to make a big leap this season, which was second on the list behind Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves. Seven percent of GMs also said Porzingis is the best international player in the entire league. In his sophomore season, Porzingis tallied 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

Knicks waive forward Jamel Artis

Oct 4 | 6:04PM

Pittsburgh Panthers forward Jamel Artis (1) advances the ball during the first half against the Virginia Cavaliers during the ACC Conference Tournament at Barclays Center. (Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports)

The Knicks have waived forward Jamel Artis, the team announced Wednesday afternoon.

Artis, who signed as an undrafted free agent this summer after playing with the University of Pittsburgh, tallied five points in 11 minutes during one preseason game with the Knicks. He also was on New York's Summer League team this year.

However, according to Ian Begley of ESPN, Artis might not be completely leaving the organization due to a clause in his contract with the club.

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FS1 removing ad that depicts 'hopeless' Knicks on NYC Subway

Oct 4 | 8:27AM

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Are Knicks hopeful or helpless?00:01:22

Jon and Marc debate whether the Knicks are hopeful or helpless in light of all the recent roster moves and the direction of the team.

Ads depicting the "hopeless" Knicks have been seen on the shuttle from Times Square to Grand Central. It shows Tim Hardaway Jr. and Joakim Noah on the outside of the train while the seats inside ask riders to, "Sit here if you blame Phil," "Sit here if you blame Melo," and "Sit here if you blame Dolan." Knicks owner James Dolan was reportedly "furious" about the ads, reports Adam Zagoria.

However, FS1 re-evaluated the advertisement and decided to pull it off of the shuttle, the network said in a statement Tuesday night.

Ntilikina will make his NBA preseason debut after being drafted eighth overall in the first round of the draft in June. The 18-year-old was the MVP of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship last year.

Noah, who was plagued by injuries and a suspension in his first season with the Knicks, is eligible to play during the preseason and has been practicing with the team. He has 11 games remaining on his suspension.

Three position battles to watch for as Knicks open the preseason

By Jake Brown | Oct 3 | 4:45PM

Jake Brown | Twitter | The preseason opener is tonight, with the Knicks' first test coming against the Brooklyn Nets. The results of the games obviously don't matter, but playing their crosstown rival should give them a little extra motivation. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has a brand new roster with a whole new outlook now that Carmelo Anthony is gone. He's got a lot of tough decisions to make and that all begins tonight. Let's take a look at what we should watch for.

How will point guard work out?

There is a decent chance Frank Ntilikina won't play tonight due to a sore groin. If he still has the groin issue, there's no point in the Knicks throwing him out there in a meaningless game. What this does mean, though, is that there is going to be a small chance that the rookie starts the season opener against Melo and the Thunder in Oklahoma City...

Knicks SF Michael Beasley believes that his talent is at the same caliber as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Beasley has averaged only 12.6 points and 23.5 minutes in his nine-year career, but he is convinced he can size up anyone in the world let alone James and Durant.

"[It's] mostly perception. As far as talent-wise, I match up with Kevin [Durant], LeBron, I match up with the best guys in the world," Beasley told Bleacher Report. "I'm not being cocky; it's just always how I felt. But I got into trouble as soon as I got into the NBA, and it left a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths."

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Joakim Noah speaks about gun control in wake of Las Vegas shooting

Oct 2 | 3:30PM

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(Brad Penner)

Knicks C Joakim Noah spoke on Monday about the issue of gun violence, the morning after the deadliest mass shooting in United States history took place at a country music festival on the Las Vegas strip.

"It's very sad and condolences to everybody who is affected," Noah said, according to Ian Begley of ESPN. "It's a tragedy. Just the wrong people with their hands on automatic weapons."

"When you start talking about gun violence, you're just a liberal idiot, you know? It is an issue," Noah said. "There's nothing wrong with being critical about your country. Especially when you love your country, this country's done so much for me. I love this country a lot but there's nothing wrong with being aware and understanding that there's definitely some issues."

Kristaps Porzingis playing it safe after bruising knee

Sep 30 | 1:13PM

New York Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis (6) speaks to the media on media day at MSG Training Center. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Kristaps Porzingis is feeling better after bruising his knee in practice Thursday, but he and the Knicks will take a safe approach as he looks to get back to 100 percent.

Porzingis hurt his knee during the end of Thursday's practice and was eventually removed from the workout.

"Just bumped knees and just to be cautious, they pulled me out the last 15 minutes of the practice," Porzingis told reporters, according to Newsday. "But today, I felt good. It's already getting better. Just a bruised knee."

Porzingis focusing on training camp despite agency concerns

Sep 29 | 6:50PM

New York Knicks forward Mindaugas Kuzminskas and forward Kristaps Porzingis react after scoring a basket against the Detroit Pistons during first half at Madison Square Garden. (Noah K. Murray-USA Today Sports Images)

Knicks big man Kristaps Porzingis is focused on training camp and did not want to comment on the status of his agency ASM Sports.

"Honestly I'm not informed enough to talk about (that),'' Porzingis said Friday to The Post. "I'm not sure what's going on, really. I'm in a similar situation right now -- I want to focus on training camp right here. However that comes out, we'll go from there.''

The offices of ASM Sports were raided earlier this week, as former agent Christian Dawkins was named in FBI documents in relation to an ongoing NCAA corruption scandal.

Thomas said he looked up to Anthony as a young basketball player and fellow Brooklynite, noting that Anthony's confidence and joy on the court "made me dream about playing on the same team as you one day, as outlandish as that seemed back then."

Frank Ntilikina got advice from Michael Jordan at 16 years old

Sep 28 | 12:00PM

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Daily News Live: Better or Worse00:03:03

The DNL panel discusses the new-look New York Knicks and whether they can have better results than the 2016-2017 team put together.

At 16 years old, Frank Ntilikina came to the United States for the first time to compete in the Jordan Brand Classic. At the tournament, the young French prospect got to meet the man behind the brand, Michael Jordan.

"I had no idea I was even going to meet him. I was nobody. Well, not a nobody. Like, how you say … J'étais juste un mec normal," Ntilikina wrote in the Players' Tribune. "Just a normal dude. Sixteen years old. Skinny basketball player from Strasbourg, France."

Carmelo Anthony says Draft night trade to Cleveland fell apart

Sep 28 | 12:20PM

Thunder F Carmelo Anthony said a Draft night trade that would have sent him to the Cavaliers this past April fell apart.

The deal would've also included Paul George, who was still with the Pacers at the time and is now Anthony's teammate on the Thunder.

"Me and PG have a very close friendship," Anthony said Thursday while appearing on SiriusXM. "Actually, it was funny because me and PG was supposed to be in Cleveland on draft night. ... we were communicating about that. The deal was actually done and it got called off on Draft night, so me and PG stayed connected throughout the course of the season."

Hornacek: Won't just be Rambis solely running Knicks defense

Sep 28 | 11:05AM

New York Knicks shooting guard Ron Baker (31) talks to associate head coach Kurt Rambis (right) during the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Knicks head coach Jeff Hornacek has made it clear even before opening night that the team will be coached a little bit differently this season.

Hornacek told reporters that the team won't just rely on Kurt Rambis to be the only voice to coach the defense. Rambis ran the defensive unit for most of last year, when the team allowed 108 points per game.

"We've worked all summer -- all of us -- on how we want to do things," Hornacek said. "And we want to tell guys, 'Hey, if you have a question on defense, ask these three guys or ask me,'" Hornacek said Wednesday, adding, "So it's kind of everybody now."